Hostage Situation
by Jewelbox1322
Summary: A UEO gala to celebrate the upcoming finish of the new SeaQuest turns into a nightmare when terrorists break in and take hostages. Set after A Higher Power. First season crew. Rated T for violence. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is an A/U fic that takes place several months after** _ **Higher Power**_ **. First season crew.**

 **Disclaimer: I did not create the SeaQuest DSV series nor do I own its characters. They are the product of Rockne S. O'Bannon and Amblin Entertainment. I write fanfiction purely for fun and not for profit.**

 **HOSTAGE SITUATION**

 **by: Jewelbox1322**

 **Chapter 1**

Nathan Bridger looked at his reflection in the large hotel bathroom mirror, straightening the bow tie that felt like it was choking him.

"Remind me again why I bother going to these things?" He spoke aloud to the person in the other room.

"Because the higher-ups requested your presence. Don't think _so_ highly of yourself, Bridger. We were _all_ asked to attend." Kristin Westphalen's voice was always welcomed, even if the message wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Yes, but they know where to send the check to get the new boat finished. There is no need for these silly formalities. The last thing we need is to spend excessive amounts of money paying for everyone's hotel rooms and a big gala just to receive a pat on the back from the UEO saying what I already know. They didn't even want to make it public that they had started building a backup boat when SeaQuest was still being finished. It's almost done now, anyway. This is just to appease the investors." He walked into the room just as Kristin was zipping up her floor-length teal sequined dress.

"Wow." He breathed out a sigh and stared at the sights offered by the generous V-shaped cut of her sleeveless gown. She noticed his gaze and smiled. "Like what you see?"

"Very much so." He said in a bit of a daze. "Well, maybe it isn't so bad to get all dressed up. But I _still_ don't know why you and I can't just sneak away and go have a nice quiet romantic dinner somewhere instead."

She walked over to him holding an elegant diamond necklace, which he took as she turned her back to him and shifted her pinned-back hair so that he could clasp it around her neck as she continued. "Oh, _Captain._ It's an important event. New ship. It gives people hope. The press will eat it up and the UEO needs their _Golden Boy_ to pose for pictures. It will be nice to see everyone again. Besides, I'm sure we can find a way to have _some_ fun tonight." Once it was on, he grabbed her bare shoulders and started kissing the back of her neck. "I'm sure...we _can_." He said in between kisses. Kristin giggled slightly before twisting out of his grasp and turning back to face him.

"Nathan, I was talking about a little dinner and dancing. There will be plenty of time for _dessert_ later on. Right now, _we_ are about to be late to the party." She said as she noticed the clock on the nightstand of their hotel room and gave him a peck on the cheek.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Let me just grab my speech and we'll go downstairs."

 **In the hotel ballroom:**

The room was filled with silver balloons and flowers at each table, at least two open bars and a live band created a party atmosphere for the elegantly-dressed people crowded around various snack and bar tables. Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Though he enjoyed being at the same table as Ortiz, Ford, Katie, Krieg and O'Neill, he still hated these adult events. It seemed like just an excuse for the brass to spend a bunch of money so they could drink, though it's not like he could drink with them. Still, he had to admit it was nice seeing some of the women not in uniform.

"Hey! Earth to Lucas."

Lucas snapped out of his daze and looked back at Krieg.

"Yeah. What's up, Krieg?" He tried to play it off.

"We were just wondering if you had plans for next month. A few of us were going to try and squeeze in another trip to Maui while we still have time. The boat could be finished sooner than you think."

"No. no I don't have any set plans." He cleared his throat. "Although, the Captain and the Doc were asking me to join them on his island at some point."

Everyone at the table was amused by this as Ortiz spoke up. "Ah, yes. The Captain and the Doctor. I _still_ can't believe they're an item. I mean...I _can,_ cause God knows they aren't hiding it anymore... I just..did it catch anyone else by surprise the other day?"

Ford spoke up. "Nah. I saw it happening from the beginning. I even told the captain half the boat suspected it."

Katie continued. "Yeah, I could tell something was there, but it wasn't until I saw Kristin's reaction when we all thought the Captain had died with the ship that I really thought they might finally be doing something about it. It is awfully romantic. "

O'Neill replied. "Yeah, there was an obvious chemistry. They did a fairly good job of hiding it, though...that is, _if_ anything was happening back then."

Lucas involuntarily shuddered and mumbled to himself. "Oh it was." He thought he was quiet enough, but given the stunned looks from everyone, he realized he said it louder than intended. He sighed and decided to spill the beans. "Well...if you must know, I found out about it before all of you and had to keep my mouth shut. It's not something I want to remember but...the day the boat sank...I kind of, caught them...making out." Their shock intensified and turned to disgust.

Krieg let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Wow. Well _I,_ for one, am surprised it took them this long to say anything. Who _knows_ how long they were really... _together_...on the boat. All those _private_ meetings in the Ward room? Eh?" He insinuated with a grin.

Everyone at the table frowned uncomfortably. Lucas looked disgusted. "Ugh. Come on, Krieg. It's like talking about your _parents_. It was bad enough seeing it first-hand. Let's just...be happy for them...I mean...can we change the subject?" He glanced over at Nathan and Kristin who were standing close to each other near one of the bar tables sipping champagne and chatting very intimately.

O'Neill spoke up. "The new ship is looking good. The Captain gave a nice overview. I'm really looking forward to serving on another tour soon. It gets boring being on the mainland. The sun does not agree with my skin."

Ortiz responded. "I just hope most people are able to change their plans so quickly to make it back on."

Lucas smiled. "Starting with Cindy from the science lab. That _dress_!" He sighed appreciatively as he had been staring at one of the younger science lab assistants at the other table who was showing a bit more cleavage than would be considered appropriate. She turned to look at him and caught his obvious stare, causing Lucas to quickly look away and try to coolly play it off. The rest of the gang giggled knowingly. Lucas realized how obvious he was being and cleared his throat.

"I mean. Um...is it _hot_ in here to anyone else?" He tried loosening his bowtie with his finger.

Krieg smiled knowingly. "You know, I'm also feeling a little cramped in here. Why don't you and I go freshen up...you look like you could use some help fixing that bowtie."

Lucas looked at him gratefully. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

Krieg and Lucas got up from their chairs and walked out the main doors of the ballroom towards the men's restroom across the hall. Krieg put his arm around Lucas' shoulders and leaned in so only he could hear. "You and I need to have a little chat about subtlety." Lucas looked at him and nodded as they walked into the restroom.

 **Meanwhile, back in the ballroom:**

Nathan and Kristin were chatting with Admiral Noyce and his wife around one of the bar tables.

"Bill, in all honesty, I appreciate the UEO's sense of urgency in finishing the new boat, but did we really need all this fancy _hoopla_ to go with it? I mean, we're probably still a couple of months away from boarding."

"Nathan, I know you're not a fan of all of this, but it does boost crew morale. And it's been a while since we all officially got together. Besides, our private investors want to be updated on the ship's progress and this is the way they prefer to communicate. That speech you made really makes a difference in they way all of these _filthy rich, spoiled, boring_ types, as you call them, see us. They want to know the SeaQuest will be back up and running soon to protect the seas. And don't tell me you're having an _awful_ time. This is nice. Just try to enjoy yourself every once in a while."

"Oh believe me, thanks to Dr. Westphalen, I do." He smiled as Kristin swatted his shoulder playfully.

Noyce rolled his eyes. "Okay you two. I know the brass said it was okay for you to be together since she is a civilian scientist, but for God's sake, try to be subtle. Remember your oath to keep it professional as much as possible. I don't want the crew to send in formal complaints about excessive PDA."

" _Subtlety_ is my middle name, Bill. Give us some credit. But until we are on that boat, we are technically a _civilian_ couple. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I promised my date a proper dance and this is probably the only time we'll be able to do so while I wear a penguin suit. Would you and Janet care to join us?" He reached for Kristin's hand as they both put their drinks down.

Janet let out an amused chuckle and responded. "Ha! I've given up on dancing. Last time I got him to dance was about 5 years ago at our niece's wedding. Besides, he's got two left feet until he's had enough to drink."

Noyce faked an insulted look at his wife as Nathan and Kristin giggled as they walked to the dance floor.

As they danced, Kristin leaned her head on his shoulder and snuggled closer as they moved to the soft beat of the music.

At that very moment a group of about twelve men dressed in black from head to toe stormed in through the main doors with large guns drawn. One of the men fired shots in the air as if to command attention. The band stopped playing and the crowd gasped in shock and horror at what was going on. One of the men walked in front of the rest and addressed the crowd, which was now trapped inside the large ballroom.

"Alright everyone! I know you're all scared but rest assured you will all be fine if you and the rest of the UEO cooperate." He gave them all a quick glance and an evil grin formed on his face as he knew what lay in store for some of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ben and Lucas stood in the men's restroom having a chat about casually sneaking glances at women, when they heard gunshots fired. Both of them froze immediately and looked at each other.

Lucas broke the stunned silence. "Were those gunshots?"

Ben, still in shock, nodded. He quickly and quietly took a peek out of the door and saw the backs of a few armed men walking into the ballroom entrance. He shut the door and turned back to Lucas with a heavy sigh. He nodded his head towards the other side of the empty room as they walked over.

"Looks like trouble." He whispered. Quick! We can't get caught." He looked up at the ceiling and noticed the air vent in the corner. "Help me move this chair." He grabbed one of the lounge chairs and they both started dragging it over near the vent. Krieg climbed on top of it and was able to reach the air vent and push the cover in and over.

"Here. Use my hand to climb in." He clasped his hands in front of him, ready to boost Lucas up the vent. Once he made it in, he reached down to help Krieg up. Lucas held his hand as Krieg took a step onto the top of the lounge chair for leverage. Once they were both in the vent, Krieg placed the cover back on to hide their tracks. He motioned for Lucas to slowly crawl back and followed him, careful not to make too much noise.

"We've got to find out what's going on. Head towards the ballroom." He whispered.

"Okay." Lucas' heart was beating faster than normal. The party had gone from dull to terrifying in a matter of seconds and now he and Krieg had to stay as quiet as possible if they had any chance of getting out of there. It didn't take them long to arrive at the adjoining vent and have a bird's eye view of what was happening in the ballroom.

 **In the ballroom:**

Several of the men were herding people to different corners of the room. Noyce spoke up, making sure his wife was behind him as he walked to the man who seemed to be in charge of the invading group.

"What is the meaning of this? Who _are_ you?" He tried getting close to the obvious leader, an athletic-looking man with dark black hair and a heavy mustache. The man faced him with an amused look on his face, his Turkish accent thick with malice in his intent.

"Don't worry, Secretary Noyce. All will be revealed in due time. First things first, though...I'm going to need _you_ to come with _us._ "

He motioned to a few of the men to step forward. "Grab the Captain. Make sure no one else in this room is armed and take away their comLinks and cel phones."

The men followed their orders and corralled Nathan with their guns, leading him back to the rest of the group. A few other men started patting people down to check for guns. One of them grabbed Chief Crocker and found a concealed gun in his pant leg, quickly pocketing it as he continued searching for other weapons. Once Noyce and Nathan were led near the doors, the leader opened it while the rest of the team led them out. Meanwhile, he directed a message to the remaining hostages in the ballroom.

"Now, I suggest the rest of you try and get comfortable in here. You will probably be here for some time. Just follow the rules and no one will get hurt. My men are under strict orders to shoot to kill if anyone tries any funny business. Should you need to use the restroom, simply let one of them know and they will escort you. Do I make myself clear?"

Various people fearfully nodded their heads in agreement.

"Good. Speaking of which..." He turned to one of his men. "I want you to check the restrooms. Make sure we don't have any guests unaccounted for."

"Yes, sir." The mercenary quickly went out the door towards the restrooms. With that, he walked out the main doors. He looked back at the small group herding Noyce and Bridger. At that moment, the mercenary which had gone into the restroom emerged and joined them.

"Sir, the restrooms were empty."

"Excellent. Let's move to the staging area."

 **Back in the ballroom:**

Lucas and Krieg tried their hardest to keep quiet throughout the ordeal. As they saw their captain and Secretary General Noyce being escorted out, their hearts sank. When they heard the leader ask his men to check the restrooms, they looked at each other, a mixture of unspoken gratitude and relief at knowing they hadn't been caught. What happened next surprised them.

Two of the men who were patting people down walked towards Kristin.

"Are you Kristin Westphalen?" One of them asked roughly.

She tried to think of something to say, but in the interest of keeping the peace, she simply nodded in agreement.

"You'll have to come with us." They each grabbed one of her arms and started dragging her towards the entrance.

Commander Ford spoke up. "Hold on. Why are you taking Dr. Westphalen? Leave her alone."

One of the men answered threateningly in a thick Middle-Eastern accent as he used his free hand to reach for his gun. "You'd do well to keep quiet, _Commander._ Our boss has plans for the pretty lady." He grinned evilly. A few of the other men held their weapons ready as well, implying a threat.

Seeing he was outnumbered, Ford had no choice but to back off, but not without giving Kristin a sympathetic glance. She seemed to understand and appreciate his attempt, even as she struggled to break free from her captors.

 **Back in the air vent:**

Lucas looked at Krieg, trying to process what was happening below them. He whispered carefully.

"We've got to do something."

"Yeah...we've got to buy our people some time. What do you say we find a way to get to the main controls?"

Lucas took a moment to process what he was saying and nodded. "Yeah. That sounds like a good plan."

They quietly crawled towards what they knew to be the main lobby.

The group of men leading Noyce and Nathan walked to a hotel suite near the ballroom. Upon entering, they were led to a large gray couch in the middle of the room. When they sat down, each one had their hands tied behind their back by one of the mercenaries. Nathan took a good look around the room. These guys had obviously planned ahead. The bar area was covered with various weapons and a tray of what could only be described as instruments of torture. There was one bedroom to the side, which he noticed had a large video camera in it. There must have been at least thirteen armed men in the room watching over them, leaving little to no chance of escaping. Finally, the leader sat down on a chair across the way from the couch.

"Well, I'm sure you're all confused as to what's going on. Allow me to introduce myself. We are part of the _People's Freedom Alliance of Turkey._ You may call me Yosef. Yosef Tanyu."

Noyce and Bridger winced as they recognized the last name and Yosef continued. "Yes. Hasim Tanyu was my _brother_." He let that sink in. Nathan shook his head remembering that awful day when their lives were all in danger as they responded to a mining colony in the Black Sea Confederation that was being invaded by this same group.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Your group terrorizes innocent people."

"You see, we have tried to reason with your superiors...to peacefully demand we be recognized as a separate entity from the Black Sea Confederation. But, much to our disappointment, the UEO decided it wasn't a worthwhile pursuit to take us seriously."

Noyce interjected. "You say you wanted us to recognize you but the people of your country elected your president and voted to stay. You cannot argue with democracy."

Yosef scoffed disgustedly. " _Democracy_? What a joke. You train people to believe in the system so that the majority learns to suck off your teat. And you silence those who know better and are willing to fight for their freedoms. Your people disposed of my brother to soothe your own egos."

Nathan was frustrated that this man blamed him for saving innocent lives. " _Disposed of_? Your brother and some of your mercenaries threatened to blow up a family-owned mining colony."

Yosef's voice grew louder as he became more emotional about his cause. "We were _trying_ to get _through_ to the UEO. Diplomacy does nothing...nobody listens to our words. Our actions speak much louder."

Noyce angrily responded. "The UEO _does not_ negotiate with terrorists."

"Well maybe you just need the right incentives."

Nathan responded. "Incentives? Your group attacked innocent families and your brother _shot_ at my men for trying to save them. We did what we had to do to keep the _peace_."

Yosef feigned disappointment. "Yes, our methods may be harsh, but our intentions are honorable. The _UEO_ hails itself as a peacekeeping organization, and yet you are showing off your torpedo power and threatening those who are simply trying to create their own destiny. Every day you and the military force of the world murder dozens upon hundreds of people without remorse. We simply wanted to level the playing field and fight fire with fire."

Noyce responded. "The UEO _is_ a peacekeeping organization. It is _you_ who are trying to destroy that peace."

"Come now, Noyce. We're not evil. We are simply fighting for what is right."

"You force innocent people into joining you by threatening them and their families. How is that not evil?"

"We merely want to set up our own confederation. Our _own_ system of government. One that is _not_ under the control of your silly rules. A place where people can live without fear of government control. They can _choose_ their own destiny." He seemed lost in his words and quickly snapped out of it. "While you're out parading your new ship and its supposedly _benevolent_ captain, my people starve and fight to try and get more assistance from you. We will no longer tolerate it. What gives _you_ the right to threaten people for power and not allow _us_ to do the same?" Yosef was getting visibly upset, trying to keep his anger in check. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Now you must answer for your actions. You and all who represent the UEO." He spoke into his comLink. "Bring her here."

Nathan tensed up, worried about who " _her"_ was. His deepest fear was confirmed as the door opened and Kristin stumbled into the room, led by two men.

"Get your hands _off_ of me. I can walk myself." She twisted her arm and the guards let her go, but not without making sure their guns were ready to fire if she made a run for it. She pretended to be brave but her heavy breathing and shocked glance around the room gave her away. Yosef smiled approvingly.

"Oh yes. I can already tell this is going to be _good_ fun."

Nathan spoke up nervously, worried for what would happen to Kristin.

"Leave her alone. You don't need her. She's a civilian. If your beef is with the UEO, you've got who you want."

The man responded with an evil grin and cocked his gun as if to signal his seriousness. " _Captain_ Bridger, don't try and use your legendary diplomatic skills to get out of this one. She may not be military, but I understand you and the lovely doctor have become quite _close_ , haven't you?" Nathan kept quiet as he clenched his jaw and tightened his fists, trying to keep himself from making the situation worse.

" _Haven't you?"_ Yosef demanded. Nathan simply looked down and nodded unwillingly as Yosef continued.

"Yes, well...here is the best part. You see, there is no use trying to reason with the UEO through diplomacy. They won't listen to _us_. What they need is _real_ incentive." He stood up and walked over to Kristin, putting his arm around her shoulders, causing her to wince but knowing better than to fight this man. "And what better incentive than the _Golden Boy_ captain of their flagship tearfully begging his superiors to take action because he is watching his _lover_ suffer _enormously_? _"_ He tightened his grip around her shoulders, enjoying the look of sheer terror on all their faces.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **In the air vents:**

Krieg and Lucas managed to make it to the hotel lobby without making a sound in the cramped vents. When they looked down, they saw it was completely empty except for two guards wearing masks sitting at the desk in front of the computers. These people had obviously let most of the guests and employees go.

One of the guards spoke into his comLink. "Yosef, I am ready to lock the door on your command."

"Do it. And make sure no one disturbs us." Came the response on the other end.

The guard typed up a command and they heard an audible click as several doors locked up in the area.

Krieg looked at the scene thoughtfully. "Lucas, if they can lock the doors remotely, do you think we can figure out how to control the lights as well?"

Lucas looked over at Krieg and whispered. "Yeah, if the system is connected, I should be able to."

"Then let's buy our people a chance to take these guys over. I have a feeling one of those uniforms is close to my size. You get the guy on the left. I got the other one."

Lucas smirked understanding what Krieg had in mind. Krieg gently lifted the ventilation cover and the two took aim at the guards below them. Krieg waited for the right time to jump and nodded to Lucas. They simultaneously tackled the two guards down to the floor without making too much noise. The guards banged their heads on the floor as they fell, knocking them out.

Krieg and Lucas smiled at each other. "Nice work, kiddo. Now, what do you say we tie up our new friends with that fire hose over there and you get cracking on that computer?"

Lucas nodded in agreement, happily starting to remove his bow tie.

 **Back in the hotel suite:**

Nathan watched as Yosef handed Kristin to two of the other men, who led her to the bedroom and closed the door behind them, leaving Nathan to wonder what was happening to her.

"Don't you _touch_ her, Tanyu. She doesn't deserve this."

"Oh, Captain. Please...save your begging for when the cameras start rolling. It will be so much more effective. Besides, we are simply having the doctor change into something a little more _suitable_ for the occasion. We wouldn't want to stain her elegant dress."

This made Nathan wince at what he implied, inadvertently giving Yosef the satisfaction of seeing him worry.

"Let me ask you something, Bridger. Do you ever stop and think about why you joined the UEO in the first place? Was it to save the world? The oceans? Or is it that you _enjoy_ the power? The power of making people suffer."

"I don't condone violence, but there are scum like you who give us no choice but to take action to protect the innocent."

"Nobody is innocent, Bridger. Everybody serves their own selfish needs. Even _you_. Western culture praises individual success, but do you ever stop and think about doing what's right for others at your own expense? Do you _think_ you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good?"

Noyce took the opportunity to chime in and try and control the situation. "You know, you don't have to do this. We can all go to UEO headquarters and calmly talk this through."

"Talk? Talk is _worthless,_ Noyce."He then looked at Nathan. _"_ Tell me, Captain.. _._ do you know how I felt when I saw my brother killed? Do you _know_ what it's like to see someone you care for be murdered in front of you while you are powerless to stop it? Allow me to enlighten you."

At that moment, the bedroom door reopened and a teary-eyed and now gagged Kristin was led out by one of the guards. She was wearing a dirty green tank top and long cargo pants and had her hands tied in front of her. While the change in clothes wasn't as surprising, it was the vest she had on that got Nathan's full attention. Packed in the vest were several cylinders of explosive.

 **Back in the ballroom:**

Ford and Katie were sitting in the corner of the ballroom, trying to come up with a plan for how to get them out of there. They spoke quietly as their captors made the rounds and walked away from them.

"We've got to find a way to overpower them." Katie whispered.

"I'm trying Katie. But we're outnumbered. If we could grab their weapons, we might stand a chance."

O'Neill overheard them speaking and joined the conversation. "I wonder what their issue is with the captain."

"Probably the usual. Terrorists wanting power and trying to stop us to get it."

"Ah. Yeah that sounds about right. But why keep us here if they want to deal with the UEO?"

"Probably for collateral. They probably want hostages to threaten the UEO into submission. Whatever it is they want, I just hope the doctor isn't a... _sacrifice_." He struggled to say the word.

Katie noticed her superior officer's somber tone. "Jonathan, we need to stay positive. I'm sure we'll find a way out of this."

"Just keep an eye out for an opportunity, Katie. But don't put yourself in danger to take it. The last thing we need are unnecessary casualties."

At that moment the doors unlocked and another masked mercenary walked in, his gun drawn. He blended in with the other men, casually walking around and keeping an eye on the hostages. Ford noticed him walking towards their group and gave the others a signal to keep quiet. The new guy grabbed Jonathan's arm.

'You! Who do you think you are looking at?" He spoke in a broken Middle Eastern accent and shoved Ford against the wall, leaning in close to whisper quietly in his ear as he pretended to rough him up.

"Jonathan, it's me. Lucas is on the main computer. The lights are going to go out in a few minutes. You need to get the others to tackle the men. When you're ready, all of you need to ask to go the restroom and I'll walk you near the other guys. That'll be our chance." He continued the louder verbal assault to hide any suspicion from the other men. "You keep to yourself and don't let me catch you eyeing me again."

With that, Krieg let him go and he sat back down as if following orders, holding his palms up in feigned surrender. Krieg kept on his casual walk, keeping as inconspicuous as possible. Ford smiled at the others as he saw a glimmer of hope in their awful situation.

 **Back in the hotel suite:**

"Oh God. Kristin." Nathan let the words out under a breath he didn't know he was holding. Yosef smiled and walked over to Kristin. One of the men carefully handed him something, which he firmly gripped. He grabbed her arm, dragging her back to the group. " _Much_ better. It's a shame that we have to harm such an enticing woman...she certainly is pleasing to the eyes." He looked at her and released her arm as he mockingly wiped a tear off of her cheek, causing Kristin to flinch at his touch. "Don't cry, my dear." He gloated at Nathan. "What do you think, Captain? This is a good look for her."

"You're a coward." Nathan spit out the words disgustedly, still in shock at seeing Kristin in this position.

Yosef chuckled. "A coward? _Me_? I am willing to _die_ for my cause, Captain. Are _you_?" He walked maliciously towards him. "Here is the deal. Your lovely crewmember is wearing enough explosive to blow this whole place up. You can kill me and put a stop to this. All you have to do is release the trigger." He casually placed the remote detonator into Nathan's bound hands, making sure his grip firmly held the handle in place, and smiled evilly.

"You bastard." Nathan clenched his teeth and fought back from saying anything worse. His nerves nearly got the better of him as he realized their lives were now _literally_ in his hands.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank your for reading my story and a special thanks to _jujuone23_ for reading and reviewing. I hope you all enjoy it! Feedback is always greatly appreciated.**

 **Warning: This chapter contains fairly violent/graphic torture. I feel like I should apologize for it. I assure you all, I am perfectly normal.**

 **Chapter 4**

Lucas looked nervously at the two unconscious men who were now tied up to a column with the fire hose. Krieg had left him a gun but he had no intention of using it. He looked at the clock...9:37pm. He keyed in a few commands and glanced over at one of the screens showing several security camera views around the hotel, including a perfect view of what was going on in the ballroom. He noticed Krieg approach Ford and knew that he would soon need to hit the lights. There was only one shot at this. If he timed it wrong and the gang wasn't ready it could mean serious trouble.

He noticed Ford and Katie stand up and waited for his cue.

 **In the ballroom** :

Katie spoke up to the men. "Hey, a few of us need to go to the restroom." Several of her crewmembers stood up, acknowledging what they were supposed to do.

One of the armed guards nodded and responded. "Line up over there near the entrance. We will escort each of you one by one."

The five did as told and they were lucky that each one had a guard standing next to each one as the stood in line. Krieg stood nearby next to another guard. He noticed each crewmember was closely watching their assigned guard. He looked at Ford and nodded at him, which led Ford to nod back in agreement. He then looked up at the security camera he knew was there and nodded.

That was the cue. Lucas pushed the Return key as the lights went out in the ballroom, causing people to scream in surprise and fear. They heard scuffling and a few yells from the mercenaries. Lucas typed in another command.

 **In the ballroom:**

As the lights came on, the terrified guests noticed that Ford, Katie, Crocker, O'Neill and Ortiz were all now holding the guns, leaving several guards on the floor. One of the guards had removed his mask and they noticed it was Lieutenant Krieg, who was also training a gun on the mercenaries. Relief spread throughout the crowd as they realized that the crew had taken control of the situation. A few of them broke out into applause.

Ford spoke up, relieved it had all worked. "Alright everyone. Everything is going to be fine."

Krieg continued. "Lucas is in the lobby and has access to the doors."

Ford nodded. "We should get everybody out, then." He took command. "Katie, O'Neill, take these people to the lobby and out the front doors. Everyone try to be as quiet as possible. We don't know how many more men these guys have parading around. Meet us back here afterwards." Katie and O'Neill nodded in understanding and started herding the partygoers and fellow crewmembers out the doors. Ford looked back at Krieg, Crocker and Ortiz who were still trailing guns at the fallen mercernaries.."The rest of you, help me make sure these guys can't call for backup."

The four of them led the men to the corner of the room and patted them down for any weapons or communication devices.

"Where is your leader?" Ford addressed the enemy group. None of the men spoke up. "You know, I am getting _real_ tired of this. Tell us where the Captain, General Noyce and the doctor are. NOW!" He aimed the gun directly at one of the mercenary's faces, but not before he ripped the man's mask off. The fearful man quickly glanced at the others and looked downwards as he answered.

"They are in the suite on this same level. Just a few doors down."

Krieg was surprised that this guy actually caved as Ford continued his interrogation. "And what do you guys want?"

The guy looked like he was at war with himself. He avoided eye contact with the others, fearing retaliation. "Our leader, Yosef, wants your captain to beg to the UEO for the People's Freedom Alliance of Turkey to become its own nation. He plans to torture the woman to break him down and also make him pay for killing his brother."

The whole crew felt their collective hearts plummet now that they knew more of what was going on.

The man continued hesitantly. "I did not want to go through with this. I was forced to join the coalition by the others. They threatened my family...my sister and my nephew. I had to surrender and follow my orders or see them killed and then be murdered myself." The man didn't look proud but he seemed genuinely remorseful.

Krieg eyed Ford and the others, a seemingly sympathetic glance at hearing this man's story. Ford spoke up. "If you help _us_ , we can help _you_."

 **In the hotel suite:**

"Well, Bridger. The ball is in your court. Just remember that." He nodded towards one of the men who was still in the bedroom. That guard then grabbed the large video camera that was in there and picked it up, pushing a button and aiming it at the scene in the living room. Yosef smiled knowingly as he turned back to Kristin. "My dear, you and I are about to get better acquainted." He gently caressed her cheek and, without warning, quickly slapped her extremely hard, leaving a swelling red bruise on her face as she fought to breathe through her gag. She almost lost her balance but he held her in place. Another quick slap on her opposite cheek nearly knocked the remaining wind out of her lungs.

Nathan screamed. "Please...Yosef. Stop. _Don't_. _Do. This_." He could barely breathe out the words as he also remained conscious of the importance of holding the trigger. Yosef took a brief moment to enjoy his prisoner's fear and smiled as he looked at the cameraman. "Are you getting this? Do you see the precious _captain_ of the SeaQuest begging like a worthless dog on the street? This is _priceless_." He chuckled as he turned back to Nathan.

"However, I'm afraid I can't have you interrupting me every 5 seconds while I work, though I _so badly_ want to hear you beg the whole time. It is very _inspiring."_

 _The man has gone mad_ , Nathan thought, as Yosef continued. _"_ But don't worry...there will be plenty of time for you to say what you need to say _after_ we have a little fun." He nodded at two of his men, who took their cue and gagged both Nathan and Noyce immediately. "That's better. Now. Where was I?"

He walked behind Kristin and leaned in her ear as he spoke. "You're going to be a good girl and stay still, right? Otherwise my men will have to shoot your pretty little head off...and there's no fun in that." He spoke condescendingly. She took a deep breath and nodded, knowing she didn't have a choice, all the while facing Nathan and trying to maintain her composure. "Excellent." He jokingly patted her on the back in approval. He walked over to the bar area where he surveyed the tools that were laying out in front of him. "Now, let's see. Which one of these do I want to use _first_?" He toyed with Nathan as he picked up instrument after instrument, knowing it was killing him inside and wanting to draw out the psychological torture. He picked up a long whip that had several sharp metal objects at the end of each strap.

Without warning, he violently swung the whip towards Kristin's legs, causing her to shut her eyes and scream out in pain through her gag. Several pieces seemed to have stuck to her leg, clearly piercing the skin underneath her pants. He quickly and carelessly withdrew the the whip, knowing that some of the stuck pieces likely ripped into Kristin's flesh underneath. She stumbled awkwardly with her hands tied and unused to the weight of the vest but managed to regain her footing, even as blood started pooling down her legs. Before she could open her eyes, he swung a second time a little harder, cause even more of the sharp edges to stick and leaving Kristin to take deep breaths to try and forget the pain. Yosef threw the rod of the whip towards the floor, once again allowing the sharp edges to tear at her skin as they were pulled from their grip.

He then forcefully kicked the back of her legs, causing her to fall to her knees on the floor. The look of pain on her face as she reached out her bound hands to the floor and fought to stay upright made Nathan furious and frustrated that he couldn't do anything. Yosef took in a deep breath and grinned at the scene.

"Oh dear. I'd better move this closer if you can't even stay on your feet." He grabbed the entire tray of instruments.

Nathan kept trying to stand up but his mercenary quickly had his arm on his shoulder, forcing him down. Yosef walked back over to Kristin and set the tray to his side on the floor. Kristin managed to catch a quick glance and shut her eyes again in fear. She didn't see but actually felt the large blade slicing down her left arm, leaving a superficial, but painful gash on the way down. Before she could really acknowledge the full extent of her wound, she felt another, slightly more painful gash radiate from her right arm. Nathan and Noyce tried, uselessly, to escape from their captors and help Kristin while Yosef reveled in their struggle.

"Isn't this _fun?"_ He quickly wrapped his arm around Kristin's neck and forced her to lean her head back onto his shoulder as he took the blade and slowly trailed it over her cheek and down to the hollow of her throat, leaving a small trail of blood as if playing an imaginary game of _connect the dots_. He looked back at Nathan while he continued his path.

"Remember you can stop this at any time, Captain. Keep that in mind. Ask yourself...how much blood is the lovely doctor able to lose before she dies _anyway_? How much pain are _you willing_ to let her suffer? Only _you_ can end this torture." He toyed like a cat playing with its captured mouse as he lowered the end of the knife and put more pressure into the small patch of muscle between her collarbone and her shoulder, drawing a small, but steady stream of blood. Kristin winced and tried to pull away but was helpless to stop it, her breathing becoming more labored as she took in the pain now emanating from so many places on her body. Yosef peeled away the blade and put it back down on the tray, giving Kristin a small, but necessary reprieve. Her relief was shortlived.

As if to confirm that he was insane, Yosef then slowly licked the blood off of Kristin's shoulder and up the side of her her neck while he used his hand to messily spread the rivulet down her left arm in a mocking caress. The whole time he never broke eye contact with Nathan, who was seething with rage as he watched his lover be tortured by this madman. Yosef satisfyingly licked his lips and smiled as if to show approval. "Mmm...I must say she's quite tasty." He teased and continued. "Perhaps if the woman survives this I can take her back into the bedroom and have some _real_ fun with her later." He grinned mischievously, enjoying the look of pure terror that came upon Kristin and Nathan's faces.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Yosef was about to continue his torture, when he heard a voice on his ComLink.

"Yosef, we have a situation. We're going to need more men in the ballroom to control these people."

Yosef let out a frustrated sigh as he let go of Kristin and pushed her to fall forward onto the floor as he stood up. She whimpered as her head hit the ground and she closed her eyes, grateful to at least have a momentary break, drawing ragged breaths as she wondered what would happen next. Yosef spoke into his ComLink.

"Tariq, why is it that you and your men can't seem to handle the _simplest_ of tasks?" He annoyingly responded. "Fine. You can have several of mine for a little bit. But you return to me once you have taken care of this...situation. I need them to keep our _friends_ in check."

He looked at several of his men who were just sitting around watching the scene unfold. He pointed to the two guards watching Nathan and Noyce, another pointing his gun at Kristin, as well as the cameraman. "You four stay here with me. The rest of you...go help Tariq. No doubt one of the females is giving him trouble." He chucked amusedly. The eight men pushed the button and walked out the door, which locked automatically behind them.

 **In the ballroom:**

The eight men noticed one of the doors was open and walked inside. They expected to see all of the hostages, but instead found their fellow mercenaries tied up on the floor. Before they could register everything that was going on, the doors slammed shut behind them and they heard the lock engage. One of them tried to blast the lock with his gun, but the bullet ricocheted back and hit his leg.

Krieg, Crocker, Ford, Katie, O'Neill and Ortiz were now on the outside of the door, along with Tariq. Ford, O'Neill and Ortiz had also changed into the mercenary uniforms.

"Thank God." Ford breathed out loud to no one in particular as the doors locked.

Krieg looked skeptical. "How is it that they can't shoot their way out?"

O'Neill responded. "I've heard about this. After the June 27th attacks of 2017, the focus on better security systems led to these new type of locks. Most hotels, banks and law enforcement facilities have been implementing them. It's supposed to be a new type of metal that is designed to withstand heat and gunfire and can be securely locked remotely in case of emergencies. Lucas must've disabled the _unlock_ button inside."

"Well, that's awfully convenient for us." Crocker chimed in, as he lowered his gun, having been ready to fire if the terrorists had escaped. "But didn't it make it easier for them to just gain control of the main system and then have access to all those locks? It's a bit of a fine line if you ask me."

Before anyone could respond, dozens of uniformed UEO security personnel came down the hallway. The main officer spoke up. "Commander Ford, I'm Agent Matthews. We've notified the Special Forces, Headquarters, as well as the White House of the terrorist threat."

Krieg let out a sarcastic, yet relieved chuckle. "Took you long enough to get here."

The UEO officer pretended to ignore his comment. Instead, he noticed one of the men was not UEO personnel and aimed his gun out of habit. Ford stopped him. "Wait! He's helping us get to Secretary General Noyce, the Captain and the doctor. They've got them in another room. Meanwhile, we've got more than a dozen of them locked in here. Most of them are armed."

The officer withdrew his gun. "Okay. Good. I've got my guys monitoring the security cameras along with the Wolenczak boy. We'll get our team to tear gas inside the ballroom and stabilize the situation. Judging by your unusual clothes, I take it you plan to infliltrate?"

"Yes, we have an in but we need to keep it inconspicuous. We may need some of your men to be on standby in case anything goes wrong. And based on what this man says is happening, there is a credible bomb threat and I'm afraid we're also going to need an ambulance and medic staff on hand immediately."

The UEO officer nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation as he waved over some of his men who were wearing gas masks. "I'm afraid we were expecting that. I'll get the bomb squad to standby." Ford nodded in agreement. The officer reached in his pocket and handed Ford a comm unit. "Here. We'll have people waiting outside the door. Use it when you are ready for us to storm in and the Wolenczak boy will unlock the door for us. He's also on the line."

Ford nodded appreciatively as he pocketed the device. "Let's go guys." Ford led Krieg, Ortiz, O'Neill down the hall, following Tariq's instructions. Katie, Crocker, and a few other UEO security personnel followed behind them quietly, leaving several yards in between. When they arrived, Tariq quickly nodded at them and the men all donned their masks. He spoke in his comm unit.

"Yosef, thank you for the extra help. Everything is under control and we are back outside your door."

He knowingly whispered to the guys as the door was unlocked from within. "Brace yourselves for what you are about to see."

He opened the door and the five men casually walked inside. Though Tariq had talked them through what to expect, they all inwardly flinched at the sight of their doctor and friend on the floor covered in so much blood and wearing what looked like a vest full of explosives. Their captain and the Secretary General of the UEO were sitting with their hands tied behind their backs, each with an armed guard.

Tariq motioned for Krieg and Ortiz to take positions behind Noyce and Nathan next to the other two guards. Tariq pointed for O'Neill to take over for the man trailing his gun on Kristin and Ford stood nearby. Tariq then casually walked to stand against the wall near the camera man.

Yosef cracked his fingers and stretched his neck, as if annoyed at being interrupted, and turned his attention back to Kristin. "Okay, sweetheart. Let's continue where we left off, shall we?"

Ford nodded at Tariq, and both immediately aimed their guns at Yosef. "I'm afraid not _. Party's over."_ He took off his mask as he noticed that Krieg and Ortiz had control of the two guards, O'Neill had the guard watching Kristin, and Tariq held a gun to the cameraman.

Yosef seemed genuinely surprised he was caught. He raised his arms in seeming surrender as Ford continued to speak. "Drop your weapons. Now!"

Yosef responded. "You heard him, boys. Do it. Game over."

The guards all dropped their guns and put their hands up. The cameraman put down the camera and did the same thing."

Krieg, Ortiz, and O'Neill kicked the guns out of the way and led the four guards into the side bedroom and closed the door. Ford spoke into the comm unit as he maintained his gun trained on Yosef.

"Lucas, lock the bedroom door. And unlock the front door. Matthews, we've got them."

The door opened and several UEO officers stormed in, including Katie and Crocker. All had the guns at the ready. Two of them walked over to hold Yosef's arms behind his back. Katie noticed the situation and put her gun back in the holster as she walked over to Nathan.

"Captain, hold on. I'm going to get you loose." She took of his gag and started working on his binds.

As soon as the gag was off, Nathan coughed and tried to clear his sore throat. When his hands were free, he carefully stood up, holding the detonator firmly in his left hand as he walked over to Yosef and punched him squarely in the jaw.

"You son of a _bitch_!"

Yosef just smiled, unfazed by the bruising on his face. "Well, Captain...looks like your heroes made it just in time. Though I do regret I didn't get to see the look on your face as you watched your lover die. But perhaps it is not too late."

Without warning, he used the leverage from the men holding him to quickly kick towards Nathan's hand, causing him to panic as they saw the detonator fly out of his hand and land on the other side of the room. Everyone's eyes went wide as they noticed what happened and braced themselves. Nathan instinctively threw himself on the floor and wrapped his arms around Kristin as they all expected the worse. All they heard was maniacal laughter.

After a few seconds, Nathan slowly lifted his head up and realized the bomb had not detonated.

"Get him out of here." Nathan spit out disgustedly as he turned back to Kristin. He gently removed her gag, trying carefully to avoid touching her wounds or causing any more pain. Her coughing fit reassured him that she was still alive and breathing, allowing him to relax just a little bit more as he undid the ties around her hands. He barely registered the member of the bomb squad that reached down to help him gently unzip the vest and maneuver her out of it. There were no words needed as her arms quickly circled his neck, needing to feel the safety of his embrace as she started sobbing quietly into his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Kristin. It's all over." He gently reassured her as he noticed several EMTs followed closely behind yielding a stretcher. He nodded towards the medic and lifted Kristin in his arms, noticing her flinch in pain as he tried to gently deposit her onto the stretcher. The medics quickly placed an oxygen mask over her face as one of them noticed a large gash on her leg and wrapped it in a tourniquet.

"She's got a few deep wounds. Let's get her to the hospital OR stat!" The medic nodded to his team, who started wheeling Kristin out of the room. "Captain, do you need medical assistance?"

"No. But I'm going with her." He quickly looked at Ford and made eye contact.

"Thank you, Jonathan."

"Go with her, Captain. We'll take care of the others."

Nathan patted his shoulder before running out the door to catch up with Kristin and the medic team.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading so far! I hope you are enjoying it. Please take a second to review and let me know what you think. Your feedback keeps me going.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Three days had passed since the incident at the UEO gala. The crew were now staying at the armed base in Pearl Harbor as part of a safety precaution in case there were any more threats.

 **In the game room of the UEO compound:**

Lucas, Ford, Krieg, Katie, O'Neill and Ortiz were playing poker in the corner of the room as other members of the crew kept themselves busy with video and board games, ping pong, and the pool table on the other side in the background. They were all dressed in civilian clothes.

"Ha! I got a straight. Read it and weep." Krieg confidently dropped his cards and started reaching for the pot as Katie, O'Neil, Ortiz and Ford folded theirs in frustration. Lucas spoke up.

"Not so fast, Ben." He dropped his own cards. "Doesn't a full house beat a straight?" He smiled knowingly, leaving Krieg to stare at the cards in disbelief as Lucas took the pot from him triumphantly.

"Beginner's luck." Krieg reluctantly agreed. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to teach you how to put on a poker face."

"He learned from the best." Katie chimed in, amused.

Just then the door to the game room opened and Nathan walked in, holding the door open for Kristin, who hopped in on crutches. Her leg had needed surgery and was bandaged up. Her other wounds were also covered in bandages, including butterfly ones on her split cheek. Overall she looked in fairly good shape considering what she had gone through. Nathan offered her extra support as he led her to a nearby couch and had her sit down with her leg gently supported on the coffee table. The crew dropped what they were doing and went over to the couple, with Lucas leaning down to give Kristin a hug.

"Doc! Good to see you out of the hospital."

"Not as glad as I am to be out of that dreadful place. I much prefer to be on the other side of a hospital bed."

"Doctors are notoriously horrible patients." Nathan smirked. "And Kristin was no exception. The poor nurse certainly had her hands full."

"I _did_ drive the poor dear crazy." She laughed at herself.

"I know what she feels like." He chuckled. "Looks like you're doing better. " Ford continued, trying to be sympathetic to the situation.

"Well, I'll probably take a while for the stitches to heal...and to be honest, I think the psychological damage was far worse than the physical one." She shuddered, trying to keep a brave front, almost tearing up as she relived the situation briefly in her head. She smiled appreciatively as she stopped herself from being overcome with emotion. "Thank you. All of you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"Well, we're here for you both if you need us." Katie spoke up, grateful at the way things had turned out.

"The same goes for all of _you_." Nathan responded. "Your bravery very well saved Kristin's life...and the lives of countless others. I'll have you know the UEO is planning something very special for all of you."

" _Please_ , not another gala." Lucas joked uncomfortably.

"No, Lucas. No more galas." Nathan replied, amused. "More along the lines of a paid vacation. This little hiccup has made them delay the launch of the new boat for a while until they reassess any more threats."

"Oh good. I think we could all use a nice vacation after all this." Krieg agreed.

"You should know something these people had been on the UEO's radar for a while. They have most of the group under control back in Turkey and they're mostly open to diplomatic talks. This guy just went a little crazier when we ended up killing his brother. This was all just a twisted mind game to get me to suffer. And it certainly worked."

They all took a deep breath, wondering what was going through their captain's mind.

Krieg broke the uncomfortable silence. "Hey, what do you say we get that poker game back on. Captain would you care to join us?"

"You go on ahead. I have to speak with Jonathan. You know, I recently taught Kristin how to play. Maybe she'd like to join?" He looked at her. "What do you say, Kris?"

Kristin smiled. "I suppose I could use a game of some sort to keep me occupied. Alright. Deal me in."

"Excellent." Krieg went and got the cards and they all started playing as Ford and Nathan walked over to another part of the room.

"Jonathan, I know we haven't had a chance to really talk cause I've been busy at Kristin's bedside, but I wanted to ask if you knew what happened to the camera film. Noyce and I couldn't track it down and we don't want it falling into the wrong hands and leaking to the press. The last thing the world needs is to see the head of the UEO and the captain of the _SeaQuest_ bound and gagged. Not to mention what would happen if Kristin were to see it."

"What film, sir?" He responded with a smile as he produced a memory card out of his pocket and handed it to Nathan.

"Thank God." He breathed out relieved as he pocketed the offending card and gave Ford a pat on the back.

"Sir, we did mean what we said back there. I can't imagine what you've been through, but if you ever need to talk about it...we're here."

"Thank you, Jonathan. Kristin and I are set up to meet with a UEO psychiatrist and empath. I'm hoping she'll help us deal with what happened. Don't tell her I told you this, though. I know Kristin puts on a brave front, but...this was a more than either of us could handle. She's been having trouble sleeping lately. We both have. To be honest, I don't know if I want her back on the boat if it means there could be danger lurking around every corner. I mean, can you imagine how many people I've pissed off?" He admitted half jokingly as he noticed Kristin finally smiling with the rest of the gang.

"Well, sir just know whatever you choose, we're behind both of you. Maybe think about before you make any decisions...a little down time can also do us all some good to think about our futures."

Nathan nodded but before he could respond, they heard Krieg from the other side of the room.

"A flush? Doc, you made it seem like you were bluffing! Wait, I thought you said you _just_ learned how to play."

"Mr. Krieg, I never said I didn't know what I was _doing._ " Kristin smiled mischievously and everyone else giggled as she collected her winnings. Nathan smiled, happy to see Kristin almost back to herself as he took a deep breath and led Jonathan back to the group. They were really going to need to think things through for the next few months.

 **THE END**.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story! My muse was really working overtime on this one and even I was surprised at how quickly it came together. Please let me know what you thought so I know whether it's worth it to keep going with my other ideas. Thank you!**


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